The Editors Mailbox

Get your internet hands on an old woodworking magazine

If you're an Old Arn kind of woodworker, you might have heard the name "The Deltagram" before. But I'm guessing most of you haven't. I surely hadn't before today (and I am an old arn kind of guy). What's "The Deltagram," you ask? Well, it was a mini-magazine published by Delta from 1932 until 1972. Between the covers, there are tips, techniques, and furniture plans. There's even a reader's gallery, showing off the work of "Delta craftsmen." So, why am I telling you this? Well, "The Deltagram" has long been lost for most us, but no more. The website This Old Workshop has come to an agreement with Delta that allows them to put up two issues of "The Deltagram" a month. The scaned and in PDF format. You're able to download them for free. (Direct link.) I looked at the two issues that are up now (the first and last to be published) and they're cool. Take a look. Enjoy.

Comments (14)

thedude50 writes: the main link is now not working so please just go to the home page and then click on the deltagram archive
Posted: 2:48 pm on December 5th

thedude50 writes: Well my friends I want you to know the 15th was a couple of days ago and we put up 2 more deltagrams. Don't miss out this issue we just put up was by request.if there is one you want please let me know
Posted: 3:27 am on April 21st

thedude50 writes: Harveyhelm I am willing to buy your collection for a fair price and these may get used to complete the collection we will be posting for the whole world to see please call me 559-790-6295
Posted: 7:20 am on March 21st

harveyhelm writes: I have many of the Deltagrams from 1932 on. If anyone is interested I would be willing to sell as I am very old Some I have cut up from when I was a little boy??? Harvey Helm
Posted: 10:21 am on March 6th

thedude50 writes: thanks for getting the word out. our small staff has been working on this for a few months. We have collected the issues since i got my first group of the delta grams out of my Grandfathers workshop.

We have scoured the internet for the past five years in an attempt to have every issue. We are still lacking a few of the issues but have enough to put them up for the next couple of years for sure. The toughest part is finding the ones from the early thirty's in tact many of these issues will be scanned from the books and the year books that later followed. Also we will pay fair market value for any issues we do not have in the original magazine form if you have any just email me. lance@thisoldworkshop.com our goal is to have every issue in the digital archive and to promote them as the tool they were meant to be when the delta education department was formed.

This also gives me a public chance to thank all the people at Delta who were involved in this project. The New delta has embraced the original Delta in a very exciting way. This project is just the beginning of great things from this old workshop.com and Delta in a couple of days i will decide what issue will go up next and i am curious if any of you have a request for a specific issue ill be sure to get it up if we have it. just post here or email me if you have a desire
Posted: 4:14 am on March 5th

RalphBarker writes: This is excellent. I'm pleased that the site was able to work out an appropriate arrangement with Delta to make "The Deltagram" available. Although some of the tips and techniques may not be up to current best-practice standards, tip-toeing through the evolution of Delta tools is great.

Delta also produced a four-volume set of reduced-size reprints in the late '40s, covering all issues from 1932 through 1948. I'm lucky to have a set.
Posted: 10:50 am on February 27th

jlecomte writes: Hey Matt, I'm already a member of the web site. Instead, I was referring to the possibility of reading the entire magazine digitally on a tablet (I have an iPad). I like the idea of being able to carry boat loads of magazines with me everywhere, and being able to search through all those magazines to find the right info, whether or not I have an internet connection.
Posted: 10:28 pm on February 25th

pitbully writes: Thanks for the heads up Mathew, i'd never heard
of the magazine before now so i'm looking forward
to reading them.
A big thanks to T.O.W. and Delta too for making the
the magazine available.
(I'd never heard of T.O.W. before either. I live
a sheltered life methinks.)
Posted: 1:11 pm on February 25th

If you're a member of the website, you already have access to a digital version of the magazine. Just click on the "member page" link in the upper right hand corner of the screen.
Posted: 10:23 pm on February 24th

jlecomte writes: When will I be able to get my internet hands on Fine Woodworking magazine?
Posted: 7:50 pm on February 24th